In the first week of December, the Bihar government’s Department of Tourism will launch a new scheme to popularize and generate awareness of the state’s Buddhist monuments. Called “walking tourism,” the pilgrimage will start in Bodh Gaya and take in other “Buddha’s footprints” circuit sites in the state. It is expected that both monks and tourists will participate.

NEW DELHI — A self-styled “godman,” or guru, was arrested late Wednesday after a tense weeklong standoff with the police, who had attempted to storm the heavily fortified compound where he was blockaded with an estimated 15,000 followers.

Muslim countries voiced their main concern over the expansion of Islamic State (IS) militant group in the Middle East while gathering at the 30th Session of Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC) in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Nov. 25.

At least 1000 members of the Buddhist clergy are expected to attend a conference in Yangon Region’s Hmawbi township in early 2015, the organising committee said. The Shwekyin Association will conduct its 19th conference at Dhammaduta Jetavana Monastery on January 27-29.

Vatican City: "It is never acceptable to use religion to justify" acts "of terrorism, oppression, violence against innocent persons, persecution, desecration of sacred places, and the destruction of cultural heritage," said the final statement released by the delegates to third seminar organized by Catholic-Muslim Forum.

(Reuters) - Egyptian police on Nov. 20 detained Mohamed Ali Bishr, one of the few Muslim Brotherhood leaders to escape jail after last year's overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Mursi, extending a sweeping crackdown on political dissent.

Vice President Biden met with leaders of religious and other non-governmental groups in Washington on November 13. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has praised religious groups for helping fight Ebola by promoting safe burial practices, which sometimes clash with religious tradition.

The Vatican-sponsored gathering, on the "Complementarity of Man and Woman," will take place Nov. 17-19 and feature more than 30 speakers representing 23 countries and various Christian churches, as well as Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Taoism and Sikhism.

A new Dhammakaya International Society of Australia (DISA) center has opened in Sunbury, to the north of Melbourne. The land was purchased in March this year, and after some cultivation as well as renovations to the existing farmhouse and barn, the center is now fully operational. The DISA now has eight such centers spread throughout Australia’s southern land.

According to the Thai News Agency, from October 6th to November 8th, Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej presented Kathina robes to monks from 9 pagodas of ASEAN members states and other South Asia countries with the aim to strengthen alliance relationship between Buddhist countries.